Refrigerator drip pan



March 11, 1941.

H. J STROBUSH ETAL ,846

REFRIGERATOR DRIP PAN Filed Sept. 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Geozge H. Pm '3 Danafiai Swzmww 16 IN V EN TOR. g- 4 BY 2% A TTORNEYS.

March 11, 1941. H. J. STROBUSH ETAL REFRIGERATOR DRIP PAN Filed Sept. 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UITE STATES PATENT FFE REFREGERATOR DRIP PAN- Application September 20, 1937, Serial No. 164,742 3 Claims. (01. 62-99) Our invention relates to an improvement in drip pans for refrigerator cases of a type designed to catch dropping condensed moisture from the evaporator coils of the case.

It is a well-known fact that where refrigerator coils are positioned within a refrigerator body adapted to contain foods of various sorts, the evaporator coil will accumulate moisture in the form of frost on the coil. When this coil or the 10 surrounding air is permitted to heat to some eX- tent, this frost will melt. The melting of this frost causes moisture to drop from the coils which may readily injure or spoil food within the refrigerator cabinet. Attempts have been made to catch this moisture, but such attempts have usually resulted in constructions which seriously impair the circulation of air about the coil. The usual type of refrigerator drip pan extends continuously beneath the coil, thus necessitating all air currents to travel about the sides of this pan.

Dilliculty has also been experienced with condensation on the drip pan itself. The air cooled by the refrigerated coil has of course a tendency to move downwardly, and therefore will contact the upper surface of the drip pan. As this cold air is prevented from moving directly downwa dly into contact with the air beneath the pan, this air on the under surface of the pan is often considerably warmer than the air above the pan, this 30 difference in temperature condensing the moisture in the warmer air upon the bottom of the pan. Accordingly, while the drip pan prevents the melted frost from dropping onto the food within the refrigerator, condensation often drops from the drip pan onto the foodstuffs.

It is a purpose of our invention to provide an inclined drip pan formed in separate units, each unit of which is secured beneath one or a series of evaporator coils. Each unit is provided with a drain pipe, which may lead to a suitable outlet from the refrigerator case. The drip pans extend only substantially the width of the refrigerator evaporator coil and support, and by. spacing the rows of the coil properly, sufficient space is provided between the drip pans to permit the free passage of air therebetween. By this construction the air need not travel a substantial distance in a horizontal direction before being permitted to move downwardly within the case.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a drip pan formed of a plurality of members secured together. Thesemembers are spaced one from the other toprovide a space therebetween for insulating purposes. This construction prevents the warmer air irom contacting the lower surface of the drip pan, which is on one side subjected to air cooled by the evaporating coil, and thus prevent condensation on this drip pan.

It is a further feature of our invention to provide an insulated drip pan which may be insulated either by providing two spaced metallic members having an air space therebetween, two spaced metallic members having insulation therebetween or a coating of insulation attached directly to the outer surface of the drip pan. Any of these constructions will prevent direct contact between the outer or under surface of the drip pan and heated air, and will therefore prevent condensation on the drip pan.

t is an additional feature of our invention to provide an evaporating coil formed of a series of loops of tubular piping placed either directly one above the other or else offset one above the othe These superimposed coils are connected by integral cooling fins closely spaced throughout the length of the coil. These cooling fins connect the various coils integrally together and form a greater cooling area than could otherwise be accomplished.

These and other objects and novel features of our invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of our specification:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through a refrigerator cabinet and through a drip pan illustrating the construction thereof.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view diagrammatically illustrating the position of the coil within the refrigerator case.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through a slightly different form of drip pan from that illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line l4 of Figure 1, illustrating the coil construction.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View through a refrigerator case, illustrating aslightly different form of construction of drip pan.

Figure 6- is a cross-sectional view illustrating still another modified form of drip pan construction.

The refrigerator case A may be of any desired type, the case illustrated being used as a display case for meat or other foodstulfs. The display case A is illustrated as having display windows Ill supported in spaced relationship within the frame II and a door aperture I2 is provided in the opposite side of the case.

Spaced longitudinally along the length of the refrigerator case, we provide hangers l3 which depend from the top l4 of the case and which are substantially J-shaped, having a horizontally extending flange I5 at the bottom of the depending hanger, and an upwardly extending retaining flange 16 extending upwardly from the end of the flange l5 parallel to the vertically extending depending portion [1. These hangers l3 support the evaporating coil l9 by extending between the radiating fins 26 attached to the coil l9. As illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings, the fins 26 are spaced at short intervals throughout the length of the tube or coil I9 and are in the form illustrated in Figure l substantially rectangular in shape. The coil 19 is formed of a single length of tube bent to form superimposed loops 21 and the fins 29 are secured to each of the loops 2|. The lower edge of some of the cooling fins 26 rest upon the horizontally extending portion 15 of the hangers l3 to support the coil in place.

Underneath each of the parallel sides of the loops 2| we provide a drip tray B. The tray B or pan is formed with a pan member 23 having a horizontal portion 24 extending beneath the coil 19. On one side of the horizontal portion 24 the drip pan extends upwardly at 25 along the outer surface of the hangers l3 and is provided at the top with a horizontally extending sealing flange 26. The flange 26 interlocks with the flange 21 on a pan covering 28 which extends downwardly at 29 parallel to the portion 25 of the tray 23 and extends horizontally at 39 terminating in an upwardly extending flange 3| which interlocks with an edge 32 of the horizontal portion 24 of the tray 23. vIn other Words, a double wall metallic tray is provided with a space therebetween. As illustrated on the left side of Fi ure 1 of the drawings, the space between the tray 23 and the outer tray covering 28 may be filled with insulation 32 or this space may be unfilled as illustrated on the right side of Figure 1, the air between the tray and the tray covering forming the insulation therebetween.

Drain members 33 extend downwardly from the tray 23 and are connected by a suitable drain pipe 33 to an outlet for the condensed moisture. A deflector or baffle plate 34 supported by a cross strip 35 extends beneath the portion of the coil [9 connecting the parallel lengths of the loop to deflect any moisture dropping from these portions of the coil into the drip pan B.

In Figure 3 of the drawings, we disclose a drain pan 36 having a flange 31 thereupon adapted to extend up parallel the vertical portion I! of the hanger l3 and having a horizontally extending flange 39 at the top of the same. The opposite edge of the tray 36 extends upwardly at 49 and is folded down at 4|. Insulation 42 is secured to the tray 36 bounded by the transversely extending flange 39 and the vertically extending flange 4|. This insulation 42 prevents heated air from contacting the lower surface of the tray 36 and thereby prevents condensation on this tray.

Figure 5 illustrates a construction which is slightly different from that illustrated in Figure 1 in detail construction. In this type of construction D the tray 43 is provided with a suhstantially horizontally extending portion 44 having a guard flange 45 extending angularly and upwardly therefrom. The flange 45 is bent downwardly to provide a vertical edge flange 46 by means of which the tray 43 is attached to the spaced tray covering 41. On the opposite side of the horizontal portion 44, the tray 43 inclines upwardly at 49 and then extends vertically in spaced relation to the hangers i3 terminating in a transverse flange 5|. Clips 52 extend between the vertically extending flanges 59 and the hangers l3 and bolts 53 extend through the hangers l3, the clips 52, through spacing washers 54 and the flanges 50, these latter members being held in place by means of a wing nut 55. Nuts 56 on the bolt 53 hold the bolt in place on the hangers 13 even when the pans 43 have been removed.

The cover trays 41 follow the same general contour as the pan 43 and are provided with an upwardly extending flange 51 to which flange 46 of the pan 43 may be bolted. The fastening bolts 59 extend through spacing washers 69 which hold the flanges 51 spaced from the flanges 46. The tray covering members 41 are also attached to the pan 43 by bolts 6| extending through spacing washers 62 and through the inclined portion 49 of the pan 43. Drain pipes 63 extend downwardly from the pan 43 for connection with drain pipes 64.

The drip pans may also be of the form illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings. In this construction, the coil 65 extends through bifurcated fins 66 which are integrally secured to the various convolutions of the coil 65, supporting the coil 65 in two parallel rows. The drain pan E is supported by the hangers 61 secured to the top of the refrigerator casing and acting to support the coil 65 by engagement with the outer and lower surfaces of the fins 66. The drain pan E is in the form of a trough-shaped member 69 having an upwardly extending side 19 thereupon to extend parallel the hangers 61. Bolts 11 extend through this upwardly extending portion 16, and the hangers 61, spacing washers 12 being interposed between the portion 10 and the hangers 61. Wing nuts 13 on the bolts 1| hold the drip pan E in place.

The trough-shaped portion 69, and the upwardly extending side 10 are provided with metallic coverings 14 and 15 which cover the core of insulation. Drain pipes 16 extend downwardly from the trough-shaped portions 69 which are connected by piping 11 to a suitable outlet drain pipe 19.

It may be seen that any moisture freezing upon the coil or upon the fins connecting the coils will run down the fins and drip off into the drip pan. The upper surface of the drip pans are exceedingly cold as they are closely adjacent the refrigerating coils. The air beneath the pans is at a considerably warmer temperature but this air cannot contact the lower surface of the pan directly because of the insulation between the spaced pad and covering.

In accordance with the patent statutes, we have described the principles of construction of our refrigerator drip pan, and while we have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that this is only illustrative of a means of carrying out our invention, and that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In a refrigerator case, an elongated cooling coil, means securing said coil to said refrigerator case a pair of spaced parallel baiiies extending beneath said coil, each of said baffles comprising an upper and a lower plate member in spaced relation with corresponding portions substantially parallel, a side plate extending upwardly from said upper plate in spaced relation to the cooling coil, a spacer between said side plate and said coil, and means independent of said coil securing means securing said side plate directly to said coil, said lower plate member including a second side plate extending upwardly in spaced relation to said first named side plate.

2. In a refrigerating case, an elongated coil, a pair of spaced parallel bafiles extending beneath said coil, each of said baffles including an upper and a lower plate member in Spaced relation with corresponding portions substantially parallel, the upper plate member being bent to provide a raised portion terminating in a depending flange, means securing the said flange and the marginal inner edge of said lower plate member together, an upwardly extending side plate on said upper plate member extending in spaced relation to the coil, spacer means between said side plate and said coil, and securing means securing said side plate to said coil, said lower plate member including a second side plate extending upwardly in spaced relation to said first named side plate.

3. In a refrigerator case, an elongated coil,

a pair of spaced parallel bailles inclined from one end toward the other extending beneath said coil, each of said baflies including an upper and a lower plate member in spaced relation with corresponding portions substantially parallel, the upper plate member being bent to provide a raised portion terminating in a depending flange, means securing said flange and the marginal inner edge of said lower plate member together, an upwardly extending side plate on said upper plate member extending in spaced relation to the coil, and securing means securing said side plate to said coil, said lower plate member including a second side plate extending upwardly in spaced relation to said first named side plate, drain pipes extending downwardly from the lower end of said baflles, and means connecting said drain pipes with a common drain to conduct liquid to said common drain.

HERMAN J. STROBUSH. GEORGE H. PLATTEN. DONALD SWANSON. 

